The Mystic Pull of Penn State

[Orijinal]

Does anyone on this board have any inside insight as to why Penn State seems to hold so much sway over recruits and families?

I have never been to Penn State, although I had lived in Pennsylvania for a few years, and I know the whole state is mystified with that school.

But why does it hold so much power over out of state recruits as well? I have heard there is nothing but country surrounding the school, so it must be that the campus itself is highly impressive.

What are they doing with their campus that Syracuse isn't? Is there anything that can be replicated from them? Anyone have any insight on these matters?

I think it's going to be important to counteract some of Penn State's "glamour" going forward. Winning will help us, sure, but it seems like it will have to go beyond winning to fight this fight in the long haul.

 

[Trueblue25]

Winning tradition

Money from the cult

Their stadium

Absurd fans and tradition

University’s support to an ungodly fault

 

[Whitey23]

 

[reedny]

Mystic pull denial.

 

[Orijinal]

Well, a picture is worth a thousand words, I guess ...

 

[CuseLegacy]

Does anyone on this board have any inside insight as to why Penn State seems to hold so much sway over recruits and families?

I have never been to Penn State, although I had lived in Pennsylvania for a few years, and I know the whole state is mystified with that school.

But why does it hold so much power over out of state recruits as well? I have heard there is nothing but country surrounding the school, so it must be that the campus itself is highly impressive.

What are they doing with their campus that Syracuse isn't? Is there anything that can be replicated from them? Anyone have any insight on these matters?

I think it's going to be important to counteract some of Penn State's "glamour" going forward. Winning will help us, sure, but it seems like it will have to go beyond winning to fight this fight in the long haul.

It's a State School. Just like when I lived in Ohio all the kids wanted to go to Ohio State. Huge in state fanbase that show out for games.

 

[Vorony]

Well, a picture is worth a thousand words, I guess ...

Or in this case, roughly 106,000+.

 

[sutomcat]

Does anyone on this board have any inside insight as to why Penn State seems to hold so much sway over recruits and families?

I have never been to Penn State, although I had lived in Pennsylvania for a few years, and I know the whole state is mystified with that school.

But why does it hold so much power over out of state recruits as well? I have heard there is nothing but country surrounding the school, so it must be that the campus itself is highly impressive.

What are they doing with their campus that Syracuse isn't? Is there anything that can be replicated from them? Anyone have any insight on these matters?

I think it's going to be important to counteract some of Penn State's "glamour" going forward. Winning will help us, sure, but it seems like it will have to go beyond winning to fight this fight in the long haul.

Their campus is nothing special. It is big and ugly. I didn't see the village but the university is in the middle of nowhere, in a really ugly area of small hills. Not much in the way of trees or vistas. It reminds me of the stark ugliness one sees as you head north into North Country from Syracuse. Stubby bushes, stunted trees, a general malaise over everything. I am sure Happy Valley was a sarcastic name for the area.

Their stadium is really big, really ugly, has a major bee problem, has uncomfortable benches and was the tightest, most cramped quarters I have been subjected to at any athetic event. Ever. They play the sound of a mangy cat being electrocuted on the loudspeakers as loud as possible every 5 minutes.

You tailgate in cow poop and mud, surrounded by barbed wire.

I think their fans are a sick cult. I am very glad they have been quarantined into the Big Scandal conference, where they most assuredly belong.

I have no idea why anyone would want to go there. This is the greatest mystery of the 21st century.

 

[gbo]

Probably how moral and ethical they are as a program...

 

[Orangepace]

Honestly, it boils down to Whitey23 post. Their tradition is strong enough that they are always full. Recruits love that and want to play for a rabid fan base.

 

[Ozcuse]

Their campus is nothing special. It is big and ugly. I didn't see the village but the university is in the middle of nowhere, in a really ugly area of small hills. Not much in the way of trees or vistas. It reminds me of the stark ugliness one sees as you head north into North Country from Syracuse. Stubby bushes, stunted trees, a general malaise over everything. I am sure Happy Valley was a sarcastic name for the area.

Their stadium is really big, really ugly, has a major bee problem, has uncomfortable benches and was the tightest, most cramped quarters I have been subjected to at any athetic event. Ever. They play the sound of a mangy cat being electrocuted on the loudspeakers as loud as possible every 5 minutes.

You tailgate in cow poop and mud, surrounded by barbed wire.

I think their fans are a sick cult. I am very glad they have been quarantined into the Big Scandal conference, where they most assuredly belong.

I have no idea why anyone would want to go there. This is the greatest mystery of the 21st century.

Was that necessary?

Syracuse and surrounding suburbia isn’t exactly a shining utopia.

 

[Eric15]

It's a State School. Just like when I lived in Ohio all the kids wanted to go to Ohio State. Huge in state fanbase that show out for games.

Yep, this same concept applies to basically any big land-grant state school in the Big Ten, SEC or Big 12. You grow up emotionally connected to the school, then you attend either the flagship campus or any of the smaller satellite campuses, which maintains your connection throughout adulthood.

Syracuse is different. The students who go there don't usually grow up as SU fans.

 

[Cusefan95]

If you grow up in PA, you’re probably either a Penn State fan or Norte Dame fan (or, weirdly, both). If you’re in New Jersey, Penn State is the highest profile school nearby. Nobody gets excited to play for Rutgers. If you’re in Ohio and don’t get a OSU offer, Penn State is a great second option.

I think the way Syracuse steals future recruits is to keep building on what we have now. A high-flying offense which is ideally suited to a Dome in the northeast - while everyone else plays in November snow - is going to help us attract better skill position players. I think the Dome advantage is something Syracuse has never fully exploited until now. We’re not going to get very many kids that grew up dreaming of playing for Penn State - or the occasions we do, it will be because the kid thinks his football future is best served by playing his college ball in a Dome.

 

[alphaorange]

Does anyone on this board have any inside insight as to why Penn State seems to hold so much sway over recruits and families?

I have never been to Penn State, although I had lived in Pennsylvania for a few years, and I know the whole state is mystified with that school.

But why does it hold so much power over out of state recruits as well? I have heard there is nothing but country surrounding the school, so it must be that the campus itself is highly impressive.

What are they doing with their campus that Syracuse isn't? Is there anything that can be replicated from them? Anyone have any insight on these matters?

I think it's going to be important to counteract some of Penn State's "glamour" going forward. Winning will help us, sure, but it seems like it will have to go beyond winning to fight this fight in the long haul.

Satanism...

 

[sutomcat]

Was that necessary?

Syracuse and surrounding suburbia isn’t exactly a shining utopia.

Syracuse and the areas surrounding it are beautiful. No comparison.

Penn State has a good football program but that State College area is ugly. It doesn't matter how many tries they throttle Rutgers, that area will always be ugly.

 

[Ozcuse]

Syracuse and the areas surrounding it are beautiful. No comparison.

Penn State has a good football program but that State College area is ugly. It doesn't matter how many tries they throttle Rutgers, that area will always be ugly.

I bolded your comments ripping on the North Country to make you feel better about Syracuse.

 

[721Comstock]

Syracuse and the areas surrounding it are beautiful. No comparison.

Penn State has a good football program but that State College area is ugly. It doesn't matter how many tries they throttle Rutgers, that area will always be ugly.

Central PA is quite literally drive-over/flyover territory - other than Crappy Valley, there's nothing there.
It's in the middle of nowhere.

 

[CuseLegacy]

Central PA is quite literally drive-over/flyover territory - other than Crappy Valley, there's nothing there.
It's in the middle of nowhere.

I hate to tell you this, but there is a lot of that middle of nowhere going on in the USA. I've been there and seen it and refused to move there. Kids don't care. Their world revolves in what is happening on campus.

 

[Cusesky8214]

100,000+ fans watching these kids play football...gotta be a pretty good atmosphere once these recruits visit.

 

[HOFCeluck]

It's not hard to figure out why. And while driving into State College is basically the exposition of every horror movie made in the last fifteen years it's not a bad college town in itself.

 

[reedny]

It's not hard to figure out why. And while driving into State College is basically the exposition of every horror movie made in the last fifteen years it's not a bad college town in itself.

Not a bad college town if you forget that the school got busted for an industrial-scale grooming operation in 2012 that was sanctioned (and covered up) by the coaching staff, the AD's office and the chancellor. Other than that I'm sure it's quaint.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

All I know is, I'll see Penn State in Hell.

But like, for real this time.

 

[HOFCeluck]

Not a bad college town if you forget that the school got busted for an industrial-scale grooming operation in 2012 that was sanctioned by the coaching staff, the AD's office and the chancellor. Other than that I'm sure it's quaint.

It is pretty nice but yes I am aware of the scandal FYI.

 

[Trueblue25]

The area around Cuse is beautiful I will die on this hill.

 

[HOFCeluck]

The area around Cuse is beautiful I will die on this hill.

Yeah this is not a controversial take. The drive on 81 between Cuse and Tully is amazing.